After All
by Ai and Wa
Summary: The Main and Branch house is planning for Neji's marriage. Sakura is one of the nominees and she is training bc their duty as a wife is to protect their husband. But is she taking this chance to get stronger inorder to get Sasuke's notice? NejiSaku *FIN*
1. The Promise

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After All

By: Wa Edited & Revised by: Ai

Chapter 1: The Promise

Sakura went home silently, she just got another rejection from Sasuke by asking him out on a date. It was the last day of missions with team seven, and it's the start of the summer holiday. However, it wasn't that good of a beginning. As she entered her front door, she saw her mother already waiting for her in the hallway. Her mother's face looked serious.

"Sakura…This might be impossible for you to accept, but you are going to be one of the nominees for Hyuuga Neji's wife." Ms Haruno told her daughter who now widened her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

"Your father was a really good friend of Hyuuga Hizashi, Hyuuga Neji's father, when they were in the Ninja Academy. And they made a promise to each other that when they grew up, if they have a son and a daughter they will get them to marry each other."

"Don't worry Sakura, Hyuuga is a very big and noble family, so there are many nominees out there who are dying to be his wife. But please Sakura, just go for the sake of your father. Since his friend died a long time ago, he said that this is the only thing that he could do for him."

Sakura stood there silently, and thought deeply. She heard about Neji's story during the Chuunin exam. It was sad how such a kind-hearted person had to die in the hands of evil. There must be so many suffering going on inside those walls of the Hyuuga's mansion. But the only thing that Neji's father left in Neji's heart was love…

"Yes, I will do it for father." After all, there should be many nominees out there that are far better than Sakura. So the only thing that she has to do is show up tomorrow.

The next day, Sakura arrived inside the Hyuuga's mansion. She walked to the line of nominees. As she walked to the registering table she heard her name.

"Sakura-san." It was Hinata.

"Hinata-chan, how are you?" Sakura asked.

"Why are you here?" Hinata asked.

"I'm one of the potential future wives." Sakura said.

"I thought you liked Sasuke-san." Hinata asked in surprised.

"Yes, well this, is just what my father wanted me to do. Mom told me that he was a good friend of your Uncle, and they made this promise a long time ago…so my father thought that this is the only thing that he could do for him since he passed away."

"Hehe, I think you are a very good speaker Sakura. At least you didn't mentioned it ―"  
  
Hinata stopped as her father approached with Neji and his mother.

Sakura and Neji's eyes met as the Hyuugas were walking out to the garden.

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Haruno Sakura, why is she here? I thought she is chasing after that Uchiha kid. Neji's eyes settled back to the groups of girls that were there. Then his Uncle spoke up.

"Welcome to all the nominees here, I'm Hyuuga Hiashi the head of the main family. As you may know, Hyuuga is a very big wealthy family. Since my brother has passed away, his wife and I are in charge of the branch family. Since their son, Neji, is fourteen years old and almost turning fifteen, I was expecting him to start a family in the few years ahead. Therefore, you were all summoned here today to be chosen as the new wife of the head of the branch family."

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So Neji was forced to start a family? Sakura looked up and observed Neji who now has his eyes closed listening to his Uncle_. I bet he can still see us with his byakugan._

"As I said before, Hyuuga is a very big family. There are many things different and more serious then you think, so when you come in here, do no expect us to treat you well. To be the wife of the head of branch family, your most important job is to assist your husband and protect him whenever he is in danger. Since we are one of the advanced bloodlines, it's important that the secret of Byakugan be kept down."

"As a matter of fact, your first duty as a wife is to protect him and always focus on his safety first. Therefore, you need to be good in fighting. Secondly, you are to assist him and help him through his works. You also need to be well taught on how to socialize with higher class people, know how to do Japanese traditional dance, and chado."

The girls gulped as they heard all the requirements that they needed to have. They started making noises and soon the whole garden was filled with the sound of their mumbles.

"Silent! Now I know that it's a very hard process; that was why I called you here. As most of you here are around thirteen and fourteen, there is still time for all of you to improve. Starting from today, you will attend our family learning as well as training with Neji and at the end of this month, you would get an interview with us and you would be eliminated by the rating you get."

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Hyuuga sure is a strict man. He scared all those girls' soul out. But being a Branch house's Mistress, is harder than I thought. But this is a chance for me to train with the Hyuuga family, which means I can get stronger.

That night, all the girls stayed inside the Hyuuga branch house. Starting from today they were to train there for the next three months. Sakura was tired from all the rules and schedules that were planned ahead. That night she couldn't sleep; she couldn't help but think about all those classes and training that she was going to get. She went outside to the garden and started looking around for a place to think. Then it came to her that she shouldn't be wondering around in the house at night, which was part of the rules. So she climbed up to the rooftop and sat there.

It was a very beautiful night scene there at the roof. She witnessed the beauty of light coming from different houses in the Leaf village. She searched for the direction of her house, but she soon realized that her house couldn't be seen from the buildings that were covered by it. However, she did spot Sasuke's house, the light was still on and Sakura wondered what he was still doing up so late.

"What do you think you are doing here?" Sakura heard a familiar voice and she turned around. It was Neji who was standing right behind her. She was surprised since she didn't hear or sense his chakra approaching.

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Hyuuga Neji, the number one rookie the year before I graduated. He might be stronger than Sasuke.

"I'm watching the stars. It's a nice place to watch the stars at night, since your house is farther and higher away from the city."

"I don't mean that, you are not supposed to be up here at this time." Neji told her coldly.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came up here." Sakura didn't look at him. Then she noticed the light in Sasuke's house was turned off.

"How pathetic, you were watching his house here? A pathetic girl like you should just go back and chase around that Uchiha kid. Leave this place tomorrow, the Hyuuga family is not what you think it is." Neji said, which caused Sakura to glare at him.

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What does he know about it? Does he think that I'm like the other girls who are here because I envy and want their richness and the powerful bloodline? I wonder what a counterattack would do?

"You were afraid to see me here because you didn't want anyone to know about your family forcing you to this arranged marriage." Sakura looked up at him; she was the most intelligent girl Shinobi in the village. Although, she didn't know how to fight like the others, and use strategies like Shikamaru, she was good in figuring out a person. Her special technique was genjutsu, and she knew how to manipulate a person's mind easily.

Neji death-glared at her, and grabbed her arm.

"Don't say things when you can't pay for the consequences after." Neji told her coldly.

"What if I can?" Sakura asked.

"You are more annoying than I thought. Why did you come here?" Neji finally asked her.

Sakura caught him again. _Why did he say 'here' instead of 'his house'? You are more interesting than I thought Hyuuga Neji._

"I didn't want to either, I was just doing a favor for my father," Sakura said.

"Your father? What does he have to do with this?" Neji questioned.

"He told me that this is the only thing left to do for your father, Hizashi." Sakura said, waiting for him to react.

But unlike what she had expected, Neji didn't show any emotion when she mentioned his father's name. Instead, he just ignored her statement and went on with the conversation.

"So you have no intention of being the new branch house's mistress... You are still chasing after that Uchiha kid after all."

"Yes, girls like me would never learn. Is that what you are trying to say. But I can assure you that I can do anything when I'm determined. If I win the fight with you at the end of this whole training thing, you have to approve of what I am doing for Sasuke-kun. And if I lose, I would leave Sasuke-kun alone."

"Those are some unwise words Sakura. Do whatever you want yourself. It's none of my business." With that he jumped down on the ground and walked away.

The training began the next day, first it was the flower arrangement, Japanese dance, Chado and manner classes in the morning. Then it was fighting lesson in the afternoon. The girls' every single moves was recorded on paper for ranking. At the end of the first week, five girls were eliminated from the group and were sent home. Luckily, Sakura was a shinobi, therefore she had the knowledge of fighting strategies and experience more than the others. But that wasn't enough to fight against Neji.

It was the end of the third week, and Sakura was already tired from all the fighting. It was after class already, but Sakura was still training in the dojo. However, no matter how much effort she put into her training, her body still had a limit. She hadn't really been sleeping nicely throughout this week due to her sore body and headache from a slight fever. She was frustrated, three weeks have passed by and she still hadn't improved that much. The only thing that she improved was her chakra control, which was some basic stuff. She needed to get stronger, she didn't want to be weak anymore. As she was resting on the wooden floor and leaning her back against the wall of the dojo, she slowly fell asleep.

Neji returned home from his meeting with Gai and Lee about summer training. After he took a shower, he decided he should go and train some more. But as soon as he approached the dojo, he sensed a familiar chakra. He entered and saw Sakura sleeping on the floor.

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Stupid girl sleeping on the floor, doesn't she realize that she is over her limit already? Her chakra is very low…Is she pushing herself for that Uchiha kid…

Then he started shaking her, trying to wake her up. Sakura slowly open her eyes.

"Sasuke-kun…?" Sakura mumbled.

"No." He gave his short reply.

Sakura vision became clear and she realized that it was Neji who was holding her. They stood up, and she realized that he was still holding her, as if she was going to fall. Maybe he was right, because she did feel dizzy. It must be from the light fever that she had this morning.

"Thank you. I will go back to my room now." Sakura said, as she pushed herself to step forward into the hall. However, her body was going against her will; she fell down. Luckily, Neji was there to pull her back from the fall, and carried her to her room.

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She is annoying alright, but she is more stubborn right now.

Neji placed her down on her bed and covered her with her sheet. He let out a sigh and looked at her pale face.

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What is she trying to prove that she has to go this far? Is Uchiha Sasuke that important to her that she is risking her life towards him, just like last time in the chuunin exam? Neji remembered the time during the chuunin exam, when he arrived at the battleground between Sakura and the Sounds. Sakura was by herself against three of them when her two teammates were unconscious. When she turned around and stared at the Sounds with her determination, it was as if, she wasn't afraid of anything. She wasn't even afraid of death.

Then he saw tears rolling down Sakura's cheek. She was having a nightmare with her fever.

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How pathetic…he thought, but he went and wiped away her tears with his hand.

"If you are going to prove to me that you can do anything for Uchiha, then you should get better first." He said in a very faint voice. Then he left the room and went on with his training in the dojo.

She went to the dojo to find him on the next day. When she arrived there, she found herself staring at the topless Neji who was training. His whole body was sweating as he dodged all the traps that he set up in the room, practicing his Byakugan. Then the next day, Sakura found herself at the same place same time again, watching him train. She couldn't figure out why, but she found herself attracted to him. Then for the rest of the month, she went there again and again, it was almost like a tradition to her.

One night, as she walked towards the dojo, she found that Neji wasn't in there, so she went to the roof to find him. Sakura found him staring up at the stars. She knew that he sensed her presence already. She didn't say a thing, and just sat on the roof back to back with him.

No matter how Neji tried to ignore it, he found himself feeling comfortable with Sakura leaning on his back. Then it hit him, he figured that she wasn't annoying at all. He actually felt good around her and she made him feel calm and happy.

The glimpse of moonlight reflected in her eyes and the way she tilted her head made his heart skip. He looked at the pink haired girl who was staring up at the sky watching the stars and he watched her every movement. Everything was going so slowly in his world right now. She looked so beautiful there, it was as if she wasn't worrying about tomorrow. She was in her little world, not caring what was happening to the world outside.

"The stars are beautiful tonight," she said. Neji didn't say anything but just followed her gaze. So for the whole night, they just sat there silently enjoying each other's company.

When morning came, Sakura found herself in her room. She went into her bathroom and cleaned herself up. Then she walked to the dojo's area where she sensed Neji's chakra there again. She smiled to herself and walked away.

When Neji finally came out from his dojo, he found this necklace placed onto of his jacket, he held it up to the sunlight and stared at the metal necklace in a shape of a Ninja star. He opened up the necklace and found a very tiny scroll inside the ninja star.

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'From my favorite ninja novel scroll, there was this Ninja star necklace that symbolized hope, I want to give this to you as a thank you gift.'

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Author Notes: Well if any of your are wondering why Hiashi made such a big deal about Neji's marriage here's the answer for you. Since Neji is the only guy in the Hyuuga family (in Hinata's generation) and Hiashi finally opened his mind about the branch house, Neji is the center of attention. Please give me some reviews and I will ganbatte!

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Chado= 'Cha' means tea and 'do' is learning (at this point I guess) and Chado are those Japanese traditional skill, where people learned about how to make tea and serve tea.


	2. Her True Love

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After All

By: Wa Edited & Revised by: Ai

Chapter 2: Her True Love 

Today was just not a good day for Neji. He woke up and stared at the calendar in his room; today's date was circled with a red marker. It was his father's birthday, which is also Hiashi's birthday. He knew that the guests of Hiashi would arrive soon to celebrate his birthday. And he just had a talk with his uncle about attending his birthday party since Hiashi is trying to rebuild a good relationship with Neji ever since the end of the Chuunin exam. Neji didn't disobey Hiashi's decision since he was the branch house family member.

Neji cleaned up and walked out from his room. He walked passed the dojo and saw Sakura in there practicing again. It had been two months already and he had gotten used to watching her training in the dojo every morning already. However, Sakura never noticed Neji who was watching her from her back. She was improving every single day, he could tell. She was more aware of the opening of her position that she had when she was fighting. She also took great control over her chakra; she practiced using less chakra to perform her jutsu.

Neji checked her rating last time, and he had discovered that she was doing very well in each class. But the rest of the four girls who didn't get eliminated weren't bad either. The only thing that they were lacking was the fighting part. It was as he expected, since none of them experienced real fighting, and they are either new Genins or not a Shinobi.

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If Sakura keeps on doing this well…she might become the next branch house's mistress. He smirked.

Sakura wiped away the sweat on her forehead; she laid on the dojo floor and let her breathing take over her. The observation from Neji had helped her again.

The guests of Hiashi's birthday party were all entering the Main House. Since the Hyuuga family was a big noble family, the celebration was huge and there were over thousands of guests who would like to meet the Head of the Main House. Each guest had a nametag in front of their seat on the floor to make sure that they are all recognized as Hiashi's guests.

Sakura walked to the main house since it was her turn to congratulate Hiashi on his birthday. This was part of the examination, to test if they were eligible of seeing the real world of socializing and meeting friends of the Hyuuga family. On her way, she heard what they were trying to say to Neji and saw all the cold eyes that seemed like they were trying to get rid of Neji.

"Oh Neji, I didn't know that you knew the way here to the main house?" The guest said, like Neji wasn't expected to be here. He was snobby. Hiashi looked up as he noticed the 'needle' in his guest's words, but he didn't say anything.

"You are a grown up now, and you shouldn't make your Uncle so concerned about your marriage. Don't be a burden to him like your father was. After all, he is the one that lost to the enemy." The guest continued like he was lecturing Neji. Sakura could sense Neji's chakra level rising, but Neji didn't say anything nor move a muscle.

"So where's the food? I heard that your mommy is preparing it for the main family. I didn't know that her status was that low comparing to a servant. I better check the food before I eat it too." He said with his cocky voice.

Sakura couldn't stand it, neither did Neji, but she went inside first and answered the guest's questions.

"Mrs. Hyuuga of the Branch house was preparing food for the main house this time because she wanted to show her respect to Hiashi-sama. And you shouldn't worry about the food here. Well I mean, you might not be a good cook, but the branch house's mistress is. But there is no point of comparing you two together anyway. Since you said that the Branch house's mistress status was low, were you implying mean that your status was lower than a servant?"

Neji and Hiashi looked up at the Sakura who was walking inside and carrying the presents from the guests. Neji stared at her with strange emotion inside him.

"And who might you be? Girls like you shouldn't be working here."

"Oh, are you judging that Hiashi-sama's decision of letting me stay here was bad?" Sakura fired back.

"NO! I didn't say anything against the great Hiashi-sama. Just who are you!?"

"I'm here to deliver presents for Hiashi-sama." Sakura said.

"Uhn! So let's see what you gave Hiashi-sama?" He said starting to unwrap the present.

"What!? A horse…." He said trying to humiliate Sakura.

"I said I'm here to deliver his presents, I never said that I gave him the present. In fact, this present that you just opened was just sent from your wife Ikegu-san." Sakura countered back, while she looked at his nametag that was placed in front of his seat.

"Stop judging me like that, you are not even a Hyuuga." Ikegu said.

"Neither are you, so why were you lecturing Neji-kun like you are part of the family?" Sakura fired back again. Neji slightly widen his eyes when he heard Sakura refer to him as Neji-kun.

Hiashi couldn't stand it anymore, he was trying to hide his laughter for a long time. Neji saw it.

"That's enough." Hiashi turned back to the serious mode.

"Neji, bring her out of here." Hiashi said. 

Neji pulled Sakura out of the room, and after they were gone Hiashi turned to Ikegu.

"And Ikegu-san, Neji is my nephew and that girl you just talked to, is going to be the next mistress of the branch house. So you better watch your words." Hiashi said with a smirk on his face.

On the way back to the branch house, Sakura started giggling. They stopped when they arrived at the branch house's garden. Sakura was still giggling, and Neji gave her a heavy sigh.

"What were you doing that for?" Neji asked the question that he kept on asking himself while they were in that room.

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Why was Sakura doing that? Was she doing that for me? Why would she do that for me, she doesn't know me that well and I don't know her that well either.

"But don't you think that it's funny?" Sakura said between her giggles.

"Be serious Sakura, you could have been kicked outside the house for doing that." Neji said in a very cold tone, but Sakura could sense the worries that were in his words.

"I don't really care if I get thrown out." Sakura said, she was calm now.

Neji looked down when he heard her words.

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So it's true; she just said that because she couldn't stand the guy. She doesn't care if she gets thrown out of the house because she wasn't planning to get anything here. She trained just so that she could get stronger and be with Uchiha Sasuke.

"But then…" Sakura said breaking his thoughts. "Since I'm here right now, training to be your future wife, I want to protect you. After all, what if I really get to be your wife, haha, then you'll be in trouble," she said while she started to giggle about her statement again.

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For some reason, I wish I could protect him from people that misunderstand and hurt him. The pains of losing his father, and having to hide the fact that he was sad when people talked about him.

"Shut up," Neji said with sadness in his eyes.

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Why is she saying those things that could hurt so much so casually? I don't need her pity.

Sakura noticed it, and she adjusted herself. She walked up closer to Neji, and she took hold of his hands. Neji widened his eyes as he noticed the warmth of her hands. He didn't fling away her hands, since he wanted to be close to her. He waited for her to say something, but she didn't. She is always doing things that shock him.

"Sakura…" he started, wanting to explain to her that she shouldn't do these things toward the guests again. There was so much that he had to think through things before his voiced them.

Sakura didn't wait for him to finish and just kissed him on his lips, still holding his hands. At that moment Neji couldn't think of anything, but he kissed her back. But after a few seconds, he pulled away.

"You forgot that you like Uchiha Sasuke." Neji said. He knew that he shouldn't get close to her right at the beginning.

"Neji-kun…" Sakura started, she didn't understand her feelings either. But after that night of watching the stars together and watching him train every night. She was attracted to him.

"Stop calling me by that. I hate it." Neji said coldly, he couldn't even shout at her.

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Don't say things when you can't pay the consequences after. Don't fall in love if you can't pull yourself back up. Neji told himself.

"I want to be with you, Neji."

"Why would you want to be with me when you have Uchiha Sasuke in your mind already." Neji said with a hurt in his voice.

"I've been thinking about that too…" Sakura said with her head down, Neji looked up and stared at her.

"For all these years, I've told myself that I am in love with Sauske. The time that he almost died in the Mist, the time when he wouldn't let me tell the Hokage that he had the curse seal, when he woke up in the hospital after Itachi came and the night before he left the Leaf and went to the Sound; I thought that I've been through so much with him and that this 'love' feeling was real. The love that I gave was real alright… But…"

Neji was silent, wanting to know the end of it.

"But I've realized that the Sasuke-kun that I've loved…was never the Sasuke that went through all that with me. I never loved Uchiha Sasuke. It was just in my imagination that Sasuke was kind to me and felt the same way as I did. I've been in love with a person that was in my imagination. And at the end that person turned out to be Hyuuga Neji. You are the person that I've always loved and wanted to be with."

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No matter what nonsense this is, this is the only feeling that is inside my head right now. And that is the only thing that I can tell you Neji.

Neji, at this point was speechless, no matter how selfish she sounded, comparing him to a imaginary person. He was actually relieved that it wasn't Sasuke who was between them. If it was really what Sakura said, there was actually no people between them in the beginning. That Uchiha kid was just a shelter for Sakura before she had found him.

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Neji has the kindest heart that I could imagine, even thought Neji was trying to hide and act the opposite of what his father told him to do before he died. That kindness in Neji had never left him. His father…is part of him. For some reason, I wish I could protect him from people that misunderstood and hurt him. The pain of losing his father, and had to hide the fact that he was sad when people talk about him.

"How could you love me? You were training so hard here just because of him, you wanted to stay here to get stronger so that he will look at you someday. You were only here because your father told you to. You only helped me because you pity my past. If you say you love me only because I was the one that you imagined, I rather have a status that is lower than a servant in the branch house like that guest said. Don't say things, when you don't really mean it," Neji said, walking away.

Sakura didn't bother to stop him she was too shocked about the whole situation.

"I only wanted to protect you… as the branch house's mistress," Sakura whispered, while Neji's back image already disappeared into the dark hallway of the branch house.

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Author Notes: Thank you for all those who commented and reviewed this fanfic.(I read every single one of them!! Thank you so much!) Thanks for concerning about my fanfic btw, I will ganbatte and write more! I don't usually do this, but I'm answering your questions. **Wa**

To Xoni Newcomer: This fanfic will concentrate on NejiSaku and I guess some of Sasuke's feelings too. There is a little part of Hinata and Naruto in the later chapters. It's not decided yet, but I hope I've answered your question.

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Dark-Hooded Eriol the Mag: I like SasuSaku pairing too! I'm the one who wrote the Hidden Seed, a SasuSaku fic …but I don't know where to go right now in that fanfic so I just left it there until I have more inspiration.


	3. Falling and Frozen

After All

By: Wa Revised & Edited by: Ai

**Chapter 3**: Falling and Frozen 

After that day, Neji never talked to Sakura anymore. Even if they met in the hallway, he never looked at her. When the branch house ate together, he never looked at her. Even their schedules of training were changed. Then as days passed, the final judgment day arrived. Their task was to demonstrate the things that they've learned all through the three months. The final task was a duel with Neji. The point of the fight wasn't necessarily to win, as the Main House just wanted to observe the nominees' ability to fight. However, if they were to fail one of their tasks, they would be thrown out of the house immediately.

Neji wasn't hard on the girls, and all of them were given approval from Neji after a few seconds of fighting. It was now Sakura's turn, as soon as she stepped onto the stage she could sense the different atmosphere around Neji. His chakra was different from all the previous fights, which got Hiashi and the rest of the audience to focus on them. First she sent him a few kicks and punches. As he dodged all of them, Sakura could already tell that he wanted a real fight. She jumped back from the place where she started, and now concentrated on her own chakra. She sent chakra to her feet and fist, then sped towards Neji with a totally different attitude.

Neji activated his Byakugan and saw the chakra points in Sakura's body, he used his special technique to block the flow of chakra in Sakura's body. Sakura didn't understand why Neji was exceptionally hard on her.

"It's obvious now, that you didn't want me to be your wife." Sakura said coldly with sadness in her voice. She was not able to use any of her chakra anymore.

If you told me earlier, I wouldn't be coming here. If you would just let me understand you, I would leave here at once without any complains. If this was what you wanted, you won already Hyuuga Neji.

All her dignity was already given and lost right in front of him. And because of him, she lost herself. What else does he want from her? If this is what it means to protect him, well at least protect his reputation, she would do it for him. Sakura lost her reason in the fight already, she didn't know what she should believe in this fight.

Neji's back was facing Sakura, but he could still sense her with his Byakugan. Then Sakura finally gave out her last move, she opened up her two arms, as she stared onto Neji's back while all those memories flashed back to her, then she slowly fell backwards. Neji turned around as he sensed her moved, widening his eyes. Hiashi's face expression changed. Hinata, who was beside her father, gave out a sad expression. Sakura had completely surrendered herself to Neji. She hit the dojo's floor hard on her back, and stared up. She didn't have any expression on her face while tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.

Sakura went back to her room. She enjoyed the three months of training and learning in this house, but she knew that she had to go back home. After all, her parents were waiting for her. She wasn't here for the Branch family Mistress placement. She wasn't here to get close to Neji. She wasn't here to get the money and the wealth from the Hyuuga family. After all, falling for Neji wasn't what she had planned to do. After all, it was just a 'summer thing'.

She had planned already, the minute that she got up from that fall, after this summer holiday she would go back to team seven and go back to being a Genin, aiming for the Chuunin exam next year. It would be just the same, Sasuke would ignore her, Naruto would be noisy as always, Kakashi sensei would be late as always…and she would be protected as always.

Sakura checked her room to see if she left anything in the room.

Looks like I got all of it…wait, she remembered giving Neji a necklace, the necklace with the ninja. _He probably dumped it already, what are you waiting for Sakura? There's nothing left here that you could stay for._

As soon as Sakura left her room with her bags, she heard a voice from behind her.

"Where do you think you are going?" She knew it was Neji already.

"Home." She didn't look back at him.

"I'm not going to ask you to stay."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"To give this back to you." Sakura turned around and saw Neji holding the necklace that she had given to him the day on the roof. Sakura stared at the necklace for awhile.

"Dump it." She said and met his sliver-white eyes for a second. She wasn't sure, but she felt that she saw surprise and sadness suddenly flow through his eyes. But of course it was just his eyes, his face never showed any real expressions. But everything was too late now. She lost her match with Neji already and that was the rule, she had to leave.

Sakura got her bags and started walking, which left Neji there standing on his own with the necklace still in his hand.

Is this how we are going to end Sakura?….Am I all alone again?

That night, Neji dreamt about his father. He saw the time when he was training with his father at the age of four. That time after he saw what Hiashi did to his father, they were both standing outside the Main house, and his father put his warm hands on Neji's shoulders. He kneeled down to Neji's height to talk to him.

"You are alive, even though you are in the Branch house family, you inhertied the limit of the Hyuuga's Byakungan." Neji saw his father force a smile on his face and continued.

"I wish I had given birth to you as a Main House family member."

Neji was in his young body, and he frowned as he stared into his father's eyes. But Hizashi just put a hand on top of Neji's head and pat it.

Then, his dream skipped to the scene at the night before his father's death. Neji remembered that his father left the Branch House at midnight. His mother woke him up as if something bad was going to happen. Then sometime later, his father went back to the branch house; he looked at Neji closely as if he would never see him again.

"Neji, you must continue living and protect the Main house like I did. And you must keep kindness in your heart." His father hugged Neji. Neji's mother stood at the side and couldn't help starting to cry. At that time, Neji couldn't understand what those words meant.

On the next morning, his father was gone—forever.

After that day, Neji started hating the Main House and promised himself that he would replace the Main house. He started training as hard as he could, thinking that someday he could change the destiny of the Branch House. He understood his father's decision of sacrificing himself for Konoha and he knew that it was because of this understanding which brought him his father's death. He swore that he wouldn't be like his father. He started to hide that kindness that was within him. He became cold to everyone. He was trapped and frozen in an icy cold winter. Until, that day when he fought Naruto, he changed and became more acceptable to his Uncle and cousins. Then Sakura came along and melt away the winter everything, she was spring.

Neji's world suddenly became dark and cold once again, that emptiness and sadness he used to feel when he was young came back to haunt him again.

She was gone, just like him—

Neji's world stopped, he was frozen again in that winter. Because at the time that she left, his time was already frozen.

Then everything was the same again. Team seven's missions started again after the summer holiday. Her teacher and Naruto were both surprised to see her improve so much. She wasn't the one who was left behind in missions anymore. Her teammates could finally watch her back when she fought.

"Good job Team 7, especially Sakura. You are the most improved student after the summer!" Kakashi said cheerfully. Sakura forced a smile on her face as Naruto cheered for her.

Why am I not happy? Why do I feel empty?

"Well that's it for today, see you tomorrow!" Kakashi then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Good job Sakura-chan!" Naruto told her, Sasuke was just standing on the other side of the bridge.

"Thanks Naruto…" Sakura said, then stared into space again.

Could it be that I'm missing him that much? After all, it's just a 'summer thing'.

"What's wrong Sakura? Is something bothering you?" Naruto asked, he frowned. Sasuke on the other side stared at her as Naruto asked the question.

"I don't know. I don't feel like I'm here right now…" Sakura said.

"Huh? What are you talking about Sakura?"

"I feel like…that I should be at somewhere else right now." Sakura said, as the image of the Hyuuga mansion flashed in her head.

"Somewhere else? Hmm did you forget something there?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah…something that is really important to me there." Sakura smiled bitterly.

I left behind so much memories there…and I left behind my heart. Even if I get stronger now…I've lost my motivation to do thing right now.

"Then why don't you go back and get it?" Naruto asked, thinking that this is a normal conversation.

Something flowed through Sakura's eyes she slowly looked up at Naruto, as if he got the point. 

"I can't." Sakura said.

"Why is that?" Naruto asked, now confused. Sasuke frowned as he was confused of what Sakura was thinking too.

"Because, I lost it, it doesn't belong to me anymore." Sakura said.

"I don't get it. If that thing belonged to you, then it belongs to you even though you lost it. Go ask if anyone picked it up for you." Naruto said.

"It's not as easy as you think. It is not an ordinary object, and the people there are different from what you imagined. And I don't think I could go back there anytime soon." Sakura forced a smile on her face.

"Sorry, but I have to go now, see you two tomorrow!" She said and left.

Sakura didn't hear anything from the Hyuuga family after the day of her departure. No one knew that she was part of the nominees. However, one day around two weeks later, Sakura heard some noise from her sleep. When she woke up, she discovered something unusual on her desk. She noticed something shiny was on her desk. Her eyes widened, and realized that it was the necklace that she had told Neji to throw away.

So he dumped it here…idiot, who would dump garbage into another person's home… Sakura smiled bitterly_._

She walked up to her desk and held up the necklace. She opened the little bottle linked to her necklace. Then she noticed that there was a paper inside the bottle this time.

"Neji…" She whispered his name. 

'The pain would never go away, his kindness and his tenderness would always be in my heart. Since the only thing that he left for me was love. But even though this pain would stay with me, it's okay. Because you were always here by my side. So you better come back, because final ranking is tomorrow.'

She grabbed the paper and the necklace and ran out of her house.

He should be around here, she thought as she pushed her way through the crowds. Then when she got closer to the Hyuuga's mansion, she finally saw Neji. He was walking back to the branch house. Sakura rushed towards him and hugged him from his back.

Neji noticed her chakra around, and before he turned around to find her, her arms were already around him.

"Neji." He heard her whisper. Neji turned around and looked at her.

"I feel like I haven't seen you for such a long time," Neji said.

"Me too."

Neji put his arms around her and he sighed in relief.

"I almost thought that I won't be seeing you again," he told her. It was needless to ask why he beat her that day at the finals. His hug already replaced the answer.

Seven days later… 

"Haruno Sakura, you have demonstrated the most important aspect of being the branch family mistress, and that was protecting her husband. Besides that, you are also ranked as the best fighter, speaker and most sociable nominee out of them all. Therefore, you would be the next branch house mistress."

Then the tea ceremony for the engagement started where Sakura and Neji sat together wearing traditional Japanese kimonos, facing their parents. First Sakura poured out the tea for Neji, and his parents. She passed the tea to her mother in law, and Hyuuga Hiashi. They drank the tea together to respect their peers. Sakura sighed as she finished all the serving, after all it was a ceremony that she had to pass without any mistakes.

After the guests left, Neji and Sakura walked out to the garden hand in hand. It was Autumn now, the leaves in the garden were all turning yellow and orange.

"Three years from now, we are going to get married." Neji started, looking at all the trees in the branch house garden. Sakura stared up, as to what Neji was trying to tell her.

"The Branch house mistress training was set that the wife should protect the husband. But I want you to know I wanted to protect you just as much as you wanted to protect me. Women shouldn't get hurt because of men."

Then Neji held out a necklace and put it on Sakura, it was their wedding ring put on a necklace with the family symbol of Hyuuga. It was a sign for her that she is now part of the Hyuuga family. And it also identified her status there as the branch house's mistress.

"I love you Sakura." Neji pulled her into his arms, Sakura closed her eyes. They stood there under the trees, as if they would never go. After a while, Neji released Sakura, and stared at her. Before their lips were about to meet, Sakura made a sound as if she was having hiccups.

"What?" Neji asked, with a grin on his face, he couldn't control his smile after he heard her cute sound.

"I almost forgot…" Sakura said blushing when she pulled away from Neji's face.

"Forgot what?" Neji asked again.

"To go to a place," Sakura said. With that she just pulled Neji away from the garden and started walking out of the house. Instead of the way to the market, Neji found himself walking upper into the mountains with her. After walking thousands of stairsteps, they finally reached the top of the Konoha Temple.

They went to the back of the Temple, and now Neji found himself staring at his father's grave. Sakura who was standing beside him, put her hands together and started praying. Sad memories flowed through Neji's mind.

"How did you find it?" Neji said in a deep voice.

Sakura slowly opened her eyes, turn and faced Neji.

"I asked Hinata about it on the day of her father's birthday…if the person I asked wasn't Hinata, they would probably get offended by me. Hinata is such a nice and understanding girl." Sakura said.

So she had been here before then. Neji stared at the clean gravestone and the dried flower.

"Why did you bring me here?" Neji looked at her.

"Because I want him to know that we are engaged…and…" Sakura stopped with her cheeks flushed.

Neji gave her a warm smile, but didn't ask her to continue on, he knew where it was going. He took Sakura's hand and locked it in his palm.

"We are leaving so soon Neji-kun?" Sakura asked as Neji was pulling her away from the Temple.

"We'll come back sometime later." He said trying to hide his grin.

I think she would be the really good wife that you told me about when I was young, father¯

Author Notes: I figured that great ninjas who sacrificed their life to Konoha; their name should be posted on the Memorial near the training ground. However, they still need graves right? So I decided to made up a place called the Konoha Temple and place Neji's father's grave there. Anyway, thanks for all those reviews again, I really love reading them! Continue supporting this fanfiction! **Wa**


	4. Wife's First Mission

****

After All

By: Wa Revised & Edited by: Ai

Chapter 4: Wife's first mission 

Sakura ran down to the bridge, as her teammates were already there waiting for their teacher. No one in the village knew about her engagement with Neji yet, as the Hyuuga family kept their family profile very low. Everything was the same to her, just now, she had a new role in her life. And that was being the future wife of Neji.

"Sakura-chan! Good morning!" Naruto said excitedly.

"Good morning Naruto and Sasuke," Sakura greeted causally.

"Hn." Sasuke said. Sakura blanked, then she realized that it was Sasuke that she was talking to.

__

Since when did I forget how Sasuke would react to my talking? It must be the training that I did, that made me forget about him. I was really upset about him too that day when I decided to enter as one of the nominees.

Then just when Kakashi arrived in a puff of smoke in front of his students, Gai's team also arrived there to the training ground. Sakura looked at Neji, who stared back at her.

"So, your team is here to train as well, Kakashi? Why don't we train together and not waste our youth?" Gai held up his thumb with blinking stars around his face.

"Right Gai-sensei!" Lee answered with spirits while Neji and TenTen were just standing behind them, keeping quiet.

"Hmmm, that seems to be a good idea!" Kakashi said without looking up from his newest issue of Come Come Paradise.

__

Kakashi sensei probably thought that if we train with Gai sensei, he would have free time to read his stupid book. Sakura gave a betrayed and sweat drop look towards Kakashi.

"How about we pair them up and let them spar? If my team wins, then I get to earn one more point for our 50 vs. 49 winning record." Gai said still with blinking stars around his face. Kakashi sweat dropped but agreed anyway.

"Now the rule is that, you can fight each other with any free style, however, if you're knocked down or go outside of this big circle on the ground, you lose. First pair, it would be TenTen vs. Sakura!" Gai yelled like the referee.

Sakura and TenTen walked inside the circle as the others walked outside of it.

"Go Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled!

"Ganbatte TenTen!" Lee yelled although he wanted to support Sakura too.

Then Sakura and TenTen started fighting. First it was the kick and punches from TenTen. Sakura didn't make any big moves and blocked all her attacks as she was observing TenTen's move. Then after ten seconds, she had already concluded TenTen's fighting pattern and started her counters. Sakura saw the opening of TenTen's movements so she didn't waste the chance and kicked her down.

Neji smirked as he remembered the similar kicked that he had used while he was training with Sakura.

TenTen didn't fall down, instead she flipped herself further away from Sakura and pulled out her kunais. Sakura followed her move and blocked all the kunais and ninja stars that TenTen throw towards her.

"Sakura-chan go Sakura go!" Naruto yelled happily. Sasuke was getting annoyed from all the yelling and cheering that Naruto was doing.

"Stop wasting your strength on cheering for her." Sasuke said, as he remembered that TenTen was far better than Sakura as he had observed through the Chuunin exam.

"What do you mean? HEY! Are you saying that Sakura is going to lose?" Naruto yelled, which caused Neji and Lee to focus on them. But before Naruto did anything stupid, Neji came into the conversation.

"Actually I am interested to see who is going to win too." Neji said as he looked at Sasuke, where Sasuke just stared at him and concentrated back to the fight.

Sakura put an end to the fight as she knocked TenTen down onto the ground. The teachers and the teammates were surprised to see the result of it.

"Yeah Sakura-chan! Congratulations!" Naruto yelled. Neji just smirked, and Sasuke just kept silent.

Then it was the fight of Naruto and Lee, it wasn't a very 'good' fight as you could say, since Naruto used his strange statergies to trip Lee out of the ring and won. After that, Neji and Sasuke walked inside the circle.

__

It's time for me to test myself this time. Sasuke thought.

"Ready! Fight!"

Neji and Sasuke both jumped back and activated Byakugan and Sharingan. Sasuke was the one who charged first towards Neji with his Kunai in his hand. However, Neji wasn't an easy opponent either, when Sasuke started charging towards him, he already predicted what he was going to do.

__

Since the Sharingan is the copying technique, I may as well just use something that could not be copied. And right now with Sasuke's level and understanding of the Sharingan, he can't copy my ninjutsu that fast.

First, there were fireballs aiming at Neji. Then there was Kunais and ninja stars shooting at Sasuke. They both got heated up and somehow were beginning to fight seriously. Then Neji used his chakra point technique and blocked sixteen points of Sasuke's chakra points.

Sasuke almost fell onto the ground, but he used his arms as support so his knees wouldn't touch the ground. He death glared at Neji and had problem standing up. Sakura could feel the sense to kill in his red eyes; her whole body was shaking.

__

When did Sasuke become like this? I thought that after he returned from Orochimaru he changed?

"That's it Uchiha, I think there's are no point of fighting anymore as we already have a winner." Neji said. But it seemed that Sasuke wasn't about to give up yet.

Sakura widened her eyes in horror as she saw Sasuke started to collect chakra in his palm. He was going to use chidori on Neji for sure.

"Sasuke what are you doing!?" Sakura shouted. However, both of them didn't seem to notice.

"Sasuke that's enough!" Kakashi yelled.

Neji was ready to take that strike, just before Sasuke was about to jump up and hit Neji, Sakura ran inside the fighting ring and stood before Neji, protecting him.

__

Sakura!? Sasuke thought, then he stopped.

"Sasuke don't hurt him." Sakura said, looking straight into his red eyes.

"Sakura, you just interfered with my fight, you could have been killed" Sasuke said coldly.

"This is not just your fight." Sakura told him. She didn't wait for his reply but turned around and checked on Neji.

"Neji are you okay? I'm sorry…" Sakura said, with sadness in her eyes.

She couldn't protect him, it was her duty to do so…but she couldn't because he was in a fight with Sasuke. She didn't know why her teammate was like this either.

****

TBC…

Side Story: The Branch House's Mistress

One day as Sakura was walking down the street towards her fiancé's house she saw her two teammates peaking through a gap between the two big doors of the Hyuuga's mansion. She smiled to herself as she saw the funny expression of Naruto's face and the annoyed Sasuke.

"Good morning you two, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked suspiciously.

"Sakura-chan, have you seen Hinata? I was supposed to have a date with her!" Naruto frowned and made a face at Sakura. Sakura looked surprise, they probably started out during the summer when Neji was with her she guessed.

"What time were you supposed to meet her?" Sakura asked.

"At one o'clock in the afternoon, it's already two thirty now." Naruto said with puppy eyes.

"Did they lock her inside her house? Too bad that Neji is not here right now, or else we can enter the house with him and go search for her. We need to make up a plan," Naruto said.

Sakura wondered where Naruto got the idea of the Hyuugas locking her up. But she can't blame him, in the outsiders perspective, Hiashi is always hard on Hinata and favoured Hanabi more.

"Naruto, there is no point for thinking up a plan since the Hyuuga family has anbu as their body guards." Sasuke said.

"Sasuke is right, we won't be able to sneak in, therefore, we could just enter by the front gate." Sakura said.

"Sakura wait! They won't let us in." Naruto said, but Sakura already knocked the door.

The guard opened the door and saw the three shinobis.

"What do you want kid?" He asked as Sakura walked up to him.

"They are friends of Neji, they were supposed to meet Neji today but he couldn't make it so he asked me to bring them inside the house to wait for him." Sakura said.

"And who might you be?" the guard asked as if he wasn't taking her seriously. Naruto covered his forehead with his hand, thinking that it would bring them more trouble.

"Haruno Sakura." She showed her the necklace with the Hyuuga family symbol on it.

"I'm very sorry Haruno-sama. Please go inside the house." The guard said with fear in his eyes as he recognized her name and the symbol.

"Good." Sakura said as she walked past the guard and into the house. She turned around and found that Naruto and Sasuke were still standing outside with disbelief in their eyes, the expression that people have on their faces when they see a magic trick.

"Come on! Naruto and Sasuke." Sakura said.

"Sakura, where are we going? We don't know the way to Hinata's room," Naruto said.

"You two better not get involved in Hinata's problem, just be Neji's guest for today, how about that?" Sakura asked, while her mind had already manipulated the whole situation.

When she saw a servant come into her view, she told her to treat Neji's guest with Ramen.

__

That should keep Naruto down for a while. As for Sasuke, he would probably not stay in the guestroom. But that would be okay, he wouldn't get himself into trouble. As soon as Sakura settled the two of them down, she disappeared and went into the Main house to check on Hinata.

Actually, she didn't know what the problem was. Hiashi locking his daughter inside her room and not letting her out? Even though Hiashi was a strict man, he would never do that to Hinata. Maybe Naruto got it on the wrong side? Sakura was now in front of Hinata's room, she slowly turned the knob and opened the door.

__

The room wasn't locked either.

Sakura walked into Hinata's room and saw her peacefully sleeping on her bed. Sakura silently walked to Hinata's bedside and pulled back up the sheet that fell down. Then she felt that Hinata's whole body was overheated. She placed her hand on Hinata's forehead and discovered that she was having a fever.

With no time to think, Sakura ran out of Hinata's room and brought back a bucket of water with a towel and some medicine. She first woke Hinata up and asked her to take the medicine. After Hinata lied back down, she wet the towel with cool water and then placed it on to Hinata's forehead. She then left the room and closed it behind her.

__

If Hinata was sick, why didn't she tell anyone? Did she not want other people to see her being weak? Just like me…Growing up in the Hyuuga household is sure not easy.

When she went back to check on Naruto and Sasuke, she saw Neji sitting with Naruto and Sasuke. Sakura walked over to Neji and sat beside him.

"How come I didn't know that I have an appointment with guests today, but I told them to wait for me at home?" Neji asked.

"Sorry, I made it up." Sakura said politely. Then she whispered something into Neji's ears, informing him that Hinata was sick, and that Naruto thought she was locked inside her room. That's why she brought both of them inside the house.

"Hey, what are you two talking about!?" Naruto said still with noodles in his mouth. Sasuke just stared at the both of them strangely. He questioned himself about what kind of relationship those two had that Sakura could enter the house freely and also go to the main house without being caught.

"I see, but she didn't want to tell her father."

"That is alright," he turned to Naruto and Sasuke, which were sitting opposite from him and continued. "Hinata-san is not feeling well right now, maybe you should come and visit some other time. I have to go. Sakura can you lead MY guests to the front door?" Neji said sarcastically to Sakura who cracked a smile.

"Yes." She replied and stood up from the tatami. But when she was about to leave the room she saw Hinata entering the room. Naruto jumped up from his seat and ran towards Hinata asking if she was alright, and so the rest of them decided to leave them alone.

Now everybody was gone, the room was silent and Hinata blushed as she saw Naruto's face so closed to her. Well actually, Naruto was examining her face since she looked so red.

"Hinata, what happened to you today?… Do you think going to the ramen stand was too boring for a date?" Naruto asked embarrassedly.

"NO! Hmm sorry Naruto-kun, I wasn't feeling well this morning and so… I couldn't come and meet you." Hinata said quietly.

"WHAT!? You are sick!? How come you never told me? Are you okay Hinata? No wonder you face looks so red, don't worry I'll get you an ice pack right now. Arr don't sit up, lie down and rest right now Hinata!" With that Naruto ran out of the room, but once he opened the slide door of the room, he saw Sakura looking up at him, she was actually spying on the two of them; whereas Neji and Sasuke was just standing behind her, one leaning on the wall and one just standing with his arms folded.

Naruto and Hinata, who was in the room, blushed.

"Hehe Naruto, if you are looking for an ice pack, the kitchen is that way." Sakura giggled when she pointed to him where the kitchen was.

After Naruto was gone, Neji walked towards Sakura, which caused Sasuke to stare.

"Sakura, it's getting late, I think you should leave." Neji said. Sakura frowned with a cute expression. It was one of those expressions that Neji couldn't resist. He knew very well that he would always give up and let her have her way. But this time it was different, maybe because Sasuke was here.

"Well I guess we should leave Naruto and Hinata alone then." Sakura giggled and smiled at Neji. Then Neji gave a signal to Sasuke, telling him to follow him to the front door.

After the three of them got to the front door, Sakura waved goodbye to Sasuke. But Sasuke was a bit hesitant to leave her, it was the evening after all. He was about to ask if he should walk her home, but then saw Neji walking beside her. Then he turned around and left. After all, their houses were in opposite directions.

When the couple arrived at Sakura's house, she stood in her doorway and asked.

"So what are you going to do with Naruto? Being that protective cousin that you are," Sakura teased.

"I'll take care of him of course." Neji said smiling, now embracing her.

"Yeah right, you are too kind to do that." She kissed him on the lips.

"Goodnight Neji," she said.

"Goodnight Sakura."

The end of the Side Story ****

Author Notes: I'm so sorry for this crappy chapter and crappy HinxNaru story. I never wrote about them before so please be easy on me. And I'm so sorry for the late update, I'm taking summer school this year and it's such a busy course, it's not hard it's just that it's very time consuming. I couldn't do my manga and my fanfic I'm so sorry. But there are only eight days left for the course so I'll try to finish chapter 5 soon! One good news to you is that I wrote chapter 6-7 already I just need to finish editing it! Well see you guys soon! **Wa**


	5. Slipping Away

****

After All

By: Wa Edited and Revised by: Ai

Chapter 5: Slipping away 

It was seven o'clock in the morning and Sakura had been summoned to the Hyuuga's main house. When she got to the front entrance of the mansion, she noticed something different about it. The atmosphere was tense and she saw more guards were patrolling more often than they usually were. She knew that something was up.

When she got into the big room of the main house, she saw many elders and some other family members sitting on the floor waiting for Hiashi. They all looked so serious, which made Sakura wonder more of what was happening.

Then Neji stepped into the room and sat beside Sakura and his mother sat right across the main house members. Neji never spoke to Sakura, and that's how Sakura discovered that this thing was more serious then some family gathering. Sakura became more alert and sat up with her back straight when Hiashi entered the room.

"Good morning, I believe that you all wonder why I summoned you here this morning. I don't want to waste anymore time; therefore, I will speak the truth right away. Yesterday night, one family member of the Hyuuga clan was attacked. Luckily for him, he only had minor injuries. He reported that the assassin might be after the secret of our Byakungan," Hiashi said.

Right after he mentioned the Byakungan, family members started to mumble.

"This is not the first time that it has happened, so there's no need to panic. I called you here to inform you that you should be alert and be careful. Watch out for yourself and for your family starting from today."

"And Sakura, I called you here today because this would be the first time that you're facing this kind of problem. And you should gain more experience and demonstrate the role of the branch house's mistress. The only advice that I can give you is that you should look after Neji and yourself," Hiashi said seriously.

"Yes," Sakura replied. It was scary for the head of the main house to speak to her for such matters in front of so many elders and members from the family. But as he said, this would be her time to demonstrate and get experiences of what it is really like to be in such a noble and ancient family of Konoha.

After their meeting, Sakura walked out of the room slowly behind Neji. When there was the two of them only left in the garden, Neji finally started talking.

"You didn't get scared, did you?" Neji asked.

"I was, a bit." Sakura replied, she could still sense that seriousness in Neji's voice.

"This always happens so you'll get used to it soon. Plus…" Neji now held her hand without turning his back to look at her.

"Plus, nothing is going to happen to you when I'm here." Neji said, finally turning around just to show a face as red as an apple.

"It's my duty to protect you, Neji." Sakura said with a sweet smile on her face.

The next day, as normal as it used to be, Sakura's team and Neji's team trained together again near the memorial. Sakura thought that Kakashi sensei must like the idea of the gennins training with each other so he can read his Come Come Paradise. Sakura sighed and concentrated back on Neji; she was watching his back since this morning.

"Sakura-chan, are you training or what?" Naruto asked. Sasuke noticed Sakura's gaze was always directed towards that Hyuuga, and felt uneasiness in his heart.

"I'm sorry Naruto, let's start!" Sakura said turning back towards Naruto.

"Ouch!" Sakura got kicked to the ground by Naruto while they were training, which caused Neji to stare.

"What's wrong Sakura? You don't seem to be concentrating today." Naruto helped her up.

"Sorry, I didn't get a good night's sleep last night," she lied.

"I see, maybe we should take a break?" Naruto suggested.

"Sure." Sakura went to a nearby tree and sat down with Naruto beside her. She was still focusing herself on Neji. He was still training with Ten Ten with his defense moves.

Then Sakura noticed it, there was something in the air that almost seem to make her suffocate. She looked towards Neji to see if he was okay as she predicted this would be an attack of the enemies. Neji was still practicing with TenTen and the rest of them, even their sensei seemed to notice nothing. She turned to Naruto, wanting to ask him if he felt anything, but he told her that he noticed nothing and it was probably just that she was too tired.

However, as she turned back to the training ground, everyone was gone and there was a thick mist advancing towards the two of them.

__

I knew it, it was a genjutsu!

"Naruto we have to cover ourselves, the enemies are coming." She said as she pulled Naruto into the woods.

"What's going on Sakura-chan, where did everyone go? What do you mean by enemies?" Naruto asked as they jumped up to the branches of the trees.

"I don't know, but we must find the others." Sakura said.

__

I must find Neji…he might be on the opposite side of the forest. I shouldn't have rested.

Then as they went deeper into the woods, they met Sasuke and Kakashi sensei. Sasuke was currently using his Sharingan to find the others, so he was definitely the real Sasuke. Kakashi sensei seemed to be the real one too since he is hanging around Sasuke.

"Sakura, Naruto, be prepared, we have enemies." Kakashi sensei said.

"How did everybody know that there are enemies coming, and I didn't?" Naruto whined.

"Everyone?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan knew!" Naruto pointed his finger to Sakura.

"How did you find out Sakura?" Kakashi asked.

"Oh..un… I didn't I felt that there was a genjutsu and I thought that it must be some enemies or something." She lied again.

"Hm… I see. Well to tell you guys the truth, the news was released this morning at the Hokage's office that some group was after the secret of Byakungan of the Hyuuga. So the enemies might be after Hyuuga Neji, who was training with us today," Kakashi explained.

"Then what should we do?" Sakura asked. She wanted to find Neji right away, but she knew that she shouldn't expose herself out in that mist, she will only become a burden to all of them if she did so.

"In this case, maybe I should tell you, today's mission is to protect Hyuuga Neji. So as dangerous as it is, we have to find him. He is probably on the opposite side of the forest. We will split up into two teams, Sakura and Sasuke, you two are one team, and Naruto you come with me. We will contact each other with the earpiece," Kakashi said.

The next second, Sakura and Sasuke were off, going towards the opposite side of the forest. They passed the training ground and finally reached the other side of the forest. However, it was misty and they could hardly see.

"It seems that they are not around here," Sasuke said finally.

"Sasuke-kun, we have to search some more. They are probably hiding, that's why. Why don't we look over there? I think I sensed Neji's chakra there." Sakura said, pointing to the deep end of the forest.

"Okay." Sasuke was a bit surprised by her seriousness about the mission. Usually she would be the one who wants to leave because she's afraid. He was also questioned by her familiarity with Neji's chakra.

They stopped on a tree branch. Sakura kneeled down and moved some of the branches that covered her view, and now she could see clearly; she found Neji with Lee beside him hiding behind some bushes.

Sasuke looked at her in surprise; she was right about Neji's chakra. Neji looked up at them, he must have seen them coming long before. He gave Sakura a glance of reassurement, then his view went back to the forest again. He was trying to find where the enemies were hiding with his Byakungan.

Then later, Kakashi sensai and Naruto arrived as well with Gai and TenTen beside them.

__

But this could only mean one thing, the enemies were here too―

TBC

****

Author Notes: Thank you very much to all those lovely reviews! I read all of them! Now to answer some questions: I didn't continue this fanfic because someone asked me to do. Sorry I got some people confused there because first when I posted up Chapter 3, I forgot to put the TBC sign at the bottom, so some people thought that that was the end of the story. (Of course not, I still have so many things to expand on in this fanfic!) Another thing that I mentioned before was that I wrote chapter 6-7 already, and that is true, I sometimes write backwards. I might update faster now, but another thing that you have to consider is that I have to get it edited. (As I said before my editor Ai is a very busy person, she has work during daytime and she has to do her student loan thing for University next year. Our site just got hosted and she has to redirect all the links on the site because I already have three sites and a manga project to work on. So I'm sorry Ai-chan) But I'm very grateful to have such friend who supported me since junior high. I am also going to University next year to study Fine Art so I have to finish whatever I have right now before I start school. (The student loan thing didn't accept me, I'm money-less ;)

One more thing is that I started a Naruto pairing fanworks site a week ago and I've been asking authors' permissions on to use their fanfic. (I'm sorry if I bothered you guys.) If you think that Wa is cool, then visit the site and sign my guest book please? You can also see Wa's fanarts for NejiSaku!

I don't think I've write a long author note like this before…people usually get annoyed if they can't relate to the topic so I better stop writing now. Hope you all enjoy the chapter and more chapters are coming soon! **Wa**


	6. A Wife's Duty

After All 

By: Wa Edited & Revised by: Ai

Chapter 6: A Wife's Duty 

The enemies were getting closer and closer towards the groups of Genins and the two Jounins. Kakashi redirected them to hide behind trees and bushes. Sakura was still hiding beside Sasuke, but she was away from where Neji was hiding. In her head, she was so nervous and couldn't concentrate on the place. She only wanted to stay beside Neji and protect him.

"If you don't want to get yourself killed, then keep your chakra down Sakura." Sasuke told her coldly.

__

Neji…

Then the enemies appeared, and it seemed that they already figured out where Neji was hiding. They struck towards where Neji was hiding. However, Neji wasn't slow either. He jumped up out and faced his opponents directly.

"Hyuuga Neji, give up now, you are already surrounded." The leader of the assassin's group told him. As the leader and his group approached Neji, Kunais and Shirikens stroke through the bushes and from treetops, bringing down two of the assassins from that group.

"Looks like it's the other way around." Neji said.

"Don't be so sure." The leader said as his dead followers raised up from the ground again like liquid and then they became solid forms again.

"My followers would not be that easily defeated."

__

Those are like the enemies we saw in the Chuunin exam last year, because of their special jutsu their could manipulate their body to have no form at all. Which means they could not be killed only with Kunais and Shirikens… Their numbers could also be mutiplied. Sakura thought to herself.

Kakashi and Gai sent them a signal and they all jumped out and fought the enemies, but each time they destroyed one, more appeared.

"We have to find the real one who is controlling the clones," Sasuke said. He was fighting back to back with Sakura. Kakashi, Naruto, TenTen and Gai were on their right, Neji and Lee were on the left.

So the group started to kill off each clone; at the end there was only one enemy left who was facing Neji. The enemy collected his chakra in his palm and rushed towards Neji. Lee took the hit, but before the jutsu was put on Lee, Neji saw something with his byakungan and so he immediately broke the contact of the enemy's fist on Lee with his gentle fist and the enemy disappeared in a puff too.

"So none of them were the real one," Lee said.

__

Maybe it was a clone, so I was able to break the hit… that attack was very dangerous. Neji thought, looking at Lee, who seemed to take no effect from that attack.

"The enemy might come back anytime, so be alert," Gai said. Then he led the group out of the forest.

As they were walking out of the forest, something hit Naruto in the stomach, which caused him to kneel down.

"Ouch," Naruto said.

"Hey Naruto, are you okay?" Lee, who was walking beside him, asked. The rest of team seven, who were walking in front, turned back to look at Naruto.

"We have to move out as soon as possible, Naruto," Sasuke said, annoyed by Naruto's sudden pause.

Just as the group focused their energy on Naruto, the enemy took advantage and attacked from the back of their standing position. He knocked TenTen towards a tree without appearing in front of the group and was now advancing towards Neji and Gai. The assassin dodged Gai's attack and made his way towards Neji in fast speed.

The assassin gathered lots of chakra in his palm; this technique was similar to Kakashi's chidori. However, instead of attacking the person, it actually redirected the flow of chakra in a person's body. This means that if a person were ever to be attacked by this attack, their chakra flow would be rushed to another direction. With chakra in the body rushing towards each other, the damage would be similar to exploding something inside a person's body. Neji knew it when he saw the clone first attacked Lee.

The assassin rushed behind Neji's weak point, and was about to strike him. Sakura saw his attempt so she rushed towards Neji. Her teammates and teacher stopped and turned towards Sakura who ran pass them and entered the fighting scene.

Neji turned around with widened eyes and his heart dropped as Sakura took the hit for him.

"SAKURA!" Naruto shouted with terror in his voice, whereas Sasuke and Kakashi just stared with widened eyes. It was a scene that brought back memories…It was similar to the fight back in the Wave Country against Haku and Zabuza. The way that Sakura took the hit just like Haku took the chidori attack from Kakashi.

__

Why…was Sakura protecting that Hyuuga? Sasuke stared in horror as Sakura frowned and choked out blood from her mouth. She dropped her head down as she suffered from the pain.

"That was some incredible speed young lady. You were good, but this wasn't what you could handle, so too bad for you." The leader stared at her. There was a minute of silence; then Sakura slowly looked up from the ground. She death glared at him, and slowly put a smirk on her face.

With an even faster speed she slashed the leader assassin's mask in half and through his mask. Blood was coming out from his face now.

"What!?" the leader couldn't believed it, he hit that girl hard with his ninjutsu but it seemed to be not working on her. Kakashi was confused at this point too then he stared more in detail to the position that Sakura was in. She was leaning against Neji. Neji's fingers were actually touching Sakura's back. Then he understood; Neji actually used his special chakra point technique to stop the flow in Sakura's body so the assassin couldn't hurt Sakura. Smart…

Without any hesitation, Naruto created around fifty Shadow Clones and then jumped onto that leader assassin and started punching and kicking him.

On the other side, after the support from the enemy was drawn away from Sakura. She fell down on her knees and almost hit the ground if it wasn't Neji who held onto her. Neji placed Sakura in his arms as she choked out more blood from her body. She was still having some side effects from the two jutsus.

"Sakura!" Neji said, while holding on to her shoulder.

"Hey Neji…it seems that I didn't fail to protect you." She said with her fainting voice. Sasuke now came closer to the couple. He could barely hear what Sakura was saying, but he knew that she was in pain. He still couldn't understand the connection between her and Neji.

"That was stupid, you know that I could see him with my Byakugan. Why did you take the hit for me?" Neji asked.

"That's a wife's duty." Sakura said, forcing a smile on her face.

Sasuke's whole expression changed once he heard that. He had been thinking all this time, that he could accept the fact that Sakura had a crush on Neji, and that she wanted to be noticed by him, or the worst being that they are already boyfriend and girlfriend. But he never expected them to be married. That just wasn't right, Neji was only fifteen this year and Sakura was only fourteen.

"Sakura…I'll get you to the hospital right now." Neji said, carrying her and ignoring the wounds that he had. After that the rest of the team followed.

Sakura's eyelid opened slightly; she saw the slow motion of the forest passing her and looked up. She was in Neji's arms and they were on the way to the hospital. Sakura felt pressure in her heart again as she choked out more blood. Neji widened his eyes and gave her a sad expression.

__

Maybe, we weren't meant to be together after all.

"Sakura, hang in there!" Neji said as he swung to another tree branch.

Then everything seemed to play in slow motion as she slowly closed her eyes and his voice slowly faded.

Neji rushed inside the hospital with Sakura in his arms. She was immediately placed inside the ER. After a few minutes, the doctor came out with bad news.

"Who's her relative here?" he started.

"I am, I'm her fiancé," Neji wasn't caring about his injuries.

"Come in with me," the doctor said.

When Neji entered the surgery room, he saw Sakura's body covered with bruises and cuts on the bed. Her pale face showed that she had lost a lot of blood.

"It might be shocking for you to hear this, but the truth is, all her chakra points are blocked right now. And because of the attack before, we are not sure what is going to happen after we activate the chakra point again…" the doctor said.

"Also, I was informed that you were the one who saved her by blocking her chakra flow," the doctor continued.

"So I have to be the one who activates it again…" Neji said in a low voice.

"That might be hard for you since you might be the one who would kill her… but at the same time, you are the only one who can save her. If you don't do it sooner, she might die from too much blood loss," the doctor said.

"What could be the side effects after, doctor?" Sakura asked, slowly opening her eyes. She was listening to the conversation all along.

"The side effects are unknown, but there is a great chance that you can't continue your life as a ninja since the flow of chakra could no longer be mixed well again."

Sakura widened her eyes… could no longer be mixed well again, she was the one with the greatest control over her chakra.

"What is the chance of success?" she asked in a faded voice.

"About 20%…"

"I see…" Then she turned to Neji, who was staring at her in shock.

"Do it, Neji." She said with determination in her voice.

"I can't…" Neji said with his voice shaking for the first time.

"Neji…" Sakura tried to collect her thoughts.

"I… I remembered what you said in the Chuunin exam before. The one thing that shocked me the most was the time when you told Naruto that everyone has one single fate in common…and that is death; so you shouldn't be sad about it, because that is part of life. If I die, I'll let you find a new wife. But you have to promise that…you will never forget me." Sakura told him with tears rolling down her cheeks. She had been compressing her feelings for the whole time.

"And…you have to live and keep kindness in your heart."

Neji couldn't hold back his tears anymore. First it was his father, now it was his fiancée.

"Sakura…" he said her name like a child, not wanting her to leave.

Sakura gave him a faint smile and then nodded her head. He looked up at Sakura, and slowly held up his shaking hand.

"Hakkeshou!" He called out.

Sakura opened her eyes slowly, she frowned as her eyes and the light came into contact. She had been in a hospital bed for a few weeks already. The last thing that she remembered was in the ER with Neji and when he called out Hakkeshou. As she heard footsteps entering her room, she closed her eyes again and pretended to be asleep. The people outside of the doorway didn't enter the room, but she heard their conversation.

"How is her injuries?"

"I think she is fully recovered from her injuries already, but as I said before, it would be hard for her to understand the bad news when she wakes up…but that's all I can do for now."

"I see…thank you doctor."

Then the doctor left. She heard someone open the doors right after, and she could sense the chakra now. It was Neji. She didn't dare to open her eyes. She knew that she couldn't stay strong after what happened to her, she couldn't face Neji anymore. And the worst thing is, she can't be the Branch House's mistress anymore. From the beginning, the whole point of being his wife was to protect him. And with her chakra flow all broken down right now, she no longer qualified as his future wife.

Neji sat down beside Sakura's bed, and stared at her face. He reached out his hand and stroked away the strand of pink hair on her face.

"Your bruises and cuts are already healed, why are you still sleeping?" He asked quietly, knowing that she probably couldn't hear him.

Sakura didn't moved, but her heart dropped after what she heard. She wanted to pull herself up on the bed right now, and hug him. But she didn't.

After awhile, Neji left and the room was all quiet again, only the sound of her breathing. She opened her eyes slowly, and walked towards the window. She saw Neji, who was leaving the hospital. That was when she told herself that she should wake up…

Then suddenly, the door to her room was opened again. She turned around and noticed that she was facing Sasuke. He looked at her as if he hadn't seen her for a long time. And for some reason, he had this sad expression on his face.

"You've finally woken up, Sakura," he said coldly.

"Sasuke…" Sakura started.

"Why didn't you wake up in front of him?" He asked curiously as he saw Neji too, through the window.

"Sasuke, do me a favour?" Sakura said quietly, still staring at Neji's back image.

"What?" Sasuke replied, as cold as he used to be.

"Take me away."

****

Author Notes: Climax is here! Thank you for all those nice comments. Now to answer questions, yes Hinata might have to face the arranged marriage thing too, but I guess I won't be focusing on that since this is a NejiSaku fanfic. But if Naruto really become the Hokage I don't think the Hyuugas would deny the offer of Hinata marrying him deshou?

Btw I've done a doujinshi for this fanfic go to the NejiSaku corner to see it! )

And I'm writing 2 new NejiSaku fanfic and I finished one of them already just need to get it edited and stuff! We need more NejiSaku fanfic out there don't we?

Wa 


	7. Pieces

After All

Written by: Wa Edited & Revised by: Ai

Chapter 7: Pieces 

"You've got to be faster Sakura, they are going to find out that you are missing from the hospital soon." Sasuke stopped on a tree branch, turned around and looked at Sakura. She was breathing heavily with sweat rolling down her forehead. Just like he thought, her body wasn't able to cope with this situation yet; he was too fast and she couldn't keep up with him.

"I'm sorry Sasuke, I'll try to keep up, don't worry about me! We are close to Konoha's border to the other village, right?" Sakura said between breaths. Sasuke looked at her with empathy in his eyes for the first time. 

Could this be that… the reason why Sakura is trying so hard to run away… is because… Sasuke felt something strange in his heart for the first time, a new feeling in his heart that suddenly hit him and shocked him. It felt like as if there's a hole in his heart that couldn't be filled.

"C'mon Sasuke! Let's go! We can't waste any more time now." Sakura tried hard to look as if she was in control over her body.

"Hn." He nodded and turned around again, starting to jump from one tree branch to another.

I wonder how Neji would react when he finds out that I am missing. I can't face him ever again, so I may as well just run away and never come back. Sakura thought to herself.

**Flash back**

"Sasuke…"

"What?" He said coldly.

"Take me away."

Sasuke stared into Sakura's sad face.

"What about Neji?" He asked. He recognized her purpose in a few seconds.

At this point, Sakura could no longer speak as her tears took over and couldn't be stopped. She couldn't see his face but he had put on a look of sympathy. The more he stared at her, the more he wanted her away…at least from Neji.

"Can you get up Sakura?"

Sakura's head shot up in surprised and he was actually willing to take her with him. She saw him hold out his hand to her as a support.

"Thank you Sasuke." She took his hand.

**End of flash back**

Neji went home after he paid his visit to Sakura. Now he is ready to go back to the hospital again, prepared to bring Sakura home. The doctor had decided to let her recover at home since all of her injuries were fully healed already.

Walking down the hallway of the hospital he stopped in front of Sakura's room. He frowned as he sensed something strange and widened his eyes as he could no longer sense Sakura's pale chakra in the room. He slammed the door open and found an empty bed with an open window. He ran towards the window and his eyes searched for Sakura. He even activated his Byakungan, but he still couldn't sense her.

What happened to you Sakura?

Neji rushed outside and asked the nurse if Sakura went outside to take a walk. His felt hopeless when they told him that they never knew that she had woken up. If he hadn't seen his Uncle and Hinata walking down the hallway towards him, he would have probably blasted a big hole into the wall of the hospital.

"What happened Neji-niisan?" Hinata asked as she sensed anger in his chakra.

"Sakura…she is gone…" He had sadness in his voice. He looked down on the floor and couldn't look up again. He was trying to hold back those angry tears.

Within a few minutes, the Hyuuga family and Konoha had sent out Anbu to search for Sakura. And the news of her disappearance along with her engagement with Neji was spread throughout Konoha that night. The Hyuuga family was afraid that their enemies who had wanted the Hyuuga's secret was the one who took Sakura with them and were taking her as a hostage.

Neji, who was being ordered to stay at the main house to protect Hinata, was being impatient. He wanted to go and look for Sakura. After all, he didn't know how to live without her anymore.

Neji turned around as he sensed a familiar chakra behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Neji asked.

"I told my students about the news, but I found something strange." Kakashi said.

"What is it?"

"I found Naruto, but I couldn't find Sasuke." Kakashi said.

"So he is involved with it." Neji was as sharp as always.

"I cannot make a solid statement about it since we don't have any evidence, but we should find out soon."

"I know Sakura very well. No matter how many times I've told my Uncle about the reason why she left, he wouldn't believe me. He was more worried about the secrets of our family than Sakura's feelings."

"So you are saying that the reason why Sakura is gone is not due to any possibilities of an assassination?" Kakashi said.

"She left because she thought that she could no longer be my wife." Neji said, turning around to face Kakashi.

Kakashi looked down at his rival's student and noticed the sadness in his eyes. _This must be the look that Gai told me about when Neji was in the Chunin exam_. Kakashi had never thought that kids at this time could experience so much. Kakashi now faced Neji with sympathy in his eyes.

"I heard about the rumour spread in Konoha, saying that she is your fiancée. Is that why she protected you when you were fighting with Sasuke and when you were in the dangerous situation during the previous fight?"

Neji nodded his head, answering yes.

"I see. As I thought, the one thing that can deeply motivate Sakura had to be nothing but love." Kakashi gave a bitter smile under his mask.

"Kakashi-sensei, I need to go look for Sakura right now!" Neji looked determined.

"There's no need to."

Neji and Kakashi turned around to meet the person who was holding an unconscious female shinobi in his arms.

"You?" 

"So it was you after all… Sasuke" Kakashi stared at his student, the Uchiha with the black hair and red eyes.

"She… asked me to take her away from you, Neji." Sasuke turned around to face Neji.

"But you bought her back here." Neji stared at his fiancée in Sasuke's arms, the moonlight shining down on her face making her look innocent and peaceful.

"I heard the rumors about you two while she was in the hospital, I couldn't understand why she asked me to take her away. But then when she was running away, she tried to overcome the limits of her weak body. Then I understood that she was running away because of you. The only thing that could get her so deeply motivated and determined is nothing but love." 

Neji stared at Sasuke in surprised, surprised that he had said something so compassionate. _Well maybe, Sakura did bring something important into both our lives._

"I figured that the only way I could bring her back was to knock her out." Sasuke thought about the night that he was leaving. _Just like the last time that I left her… but this time, I'm leaving because of her_.

"I… never imagined I would say this to an Uchiha, but… thank you for bring her back." Neji said. 

"I'm just doing what is best for Sakura. You take good care of her." He gave Sakura to Neji and those were his last words before jumping off and disappearing into the night.

The day after, Sakura found herself in her bed in the Hyuuga branch house. The first person that she saw was Neji; he was with her all night looking after her. Sakura almost broke into tears when she saw his face again. 

"Why did you run away Sakura?" Neji asked, he just needed to hear it from Sakura.

"You know why already, why are you still asking me?" Sakura held her head down, she couldn't face Neji anymore.

"Your teacher and the branch house trained you too well for reading underneath of the underneath." He said it as a joke, but neither of them cracked a smile.

"I know that even if I can't use my chakra anymore, you wouldn't need my protection since you are Hyuuga Neji. But have you ever thought about our future? What if we have children? What am I going to do when my children are in danger and need my help? How am I going to fight those enemies when I can't use my chakra?" Sakura said with tears in her eyes.

Neji tightened his fist slightly as he heard her words. Sakura continued to speak.

"Your Uncle probably thinks that it's better for me to be missing. Then, he doesn't have to make you sad when he chooses a new wife for you."

"Sakura…" Neji said.

"I just want you to be my wife, I don't want anyone else." He said it as if he was still a child and could have anything he wanted.

"That is impossible, Neji…" Sakura said with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Then they heard the door slide open, and there stood Neji's mother.

"Mother…" Neji said.

"Hiashi wanted to see Sakura." She said with sadness in her eyes. She closed the slide door and waited for Sakura outside. Sakura wiped her tears, and stood up.

She was about to leave, but Neji grabbed her hand. Her back was facing Neji. He opened his arms and hugged her from the back.

"Don't leave me."

I don't want to either, Neji. She pulled herself out of his hug, turned around and kissed him for the last time. After that, Neji was the only person who was left in the room. He sat down on the floor, his body was leaning against the wall sideways as his head slightly used the wall as a support, and his eyes— they were empty and hopeless.

Sakura came in front of the heads of the family, including Neji's mother, Hiashi and some elders of the family.

"Good evening Hiashi-sama." Sakura bowed her head with her hands on the floor.

"The family had been searching for you." Hiashi said.

"I know, and I am sorry." Sakura said with sadness in her eyes. She took a deep breath and was ready to get kicked out of the house, forever.

"It is ready, Danna." Hiashi's wife entered the room.

"I see," he turned to Sakura, "go with her Sakura." He ordered.

Sakura said nothing and bowed to greet farewell to Hisashi and followed Hiashi's wife out of the room. They walked through the garden and instead of the front entrance, Hiashi's wife lead Sakura to her room instead.

"Please come in, Sakura." She said with a very calm voice.

"Yes." Sakura did as she was told, but she wondered what Hiashi's wife was going to do to her.

"Now close your eyes, and just relax." Hiashi's wife said. As Sakura did what she was told, she felt Hiashi's wife's hand on her forehead, then Sakura's hands turned cold and she started to sniff.

"Oh! What is it my dear?"

"You are not going to use some jutsu to erase my memory, are you?" Sakura said, remembering some fiction scroll that she had read before.

"Of course not, oh dear, I think you have the wildest imagination sometimes." Hiashi's wife smiled.

"Then what…"

"Where should I start? Well, you know that the Chakra point jutsu was pass down from generation to generation in the Hyuuga's family right?"

Sakura nodded her head.

"Well, when I first entered this family, my husband's mother passed down a secret jutsu to me. She said it would just be passed down to the wife of the head family and the jutsu works the opposite of what the Chakra point jutsu. So instead of stopping your chakra from flowing, it actually helps the chakra to flow more smoothly."

Sakura eyes widened; a sense of excitement and happiness shot up from her heart.

"So you mean that…I'm not being kicked out of the family at all?" Sakura asked.

"Oh of course not, oh dear, did I ever mention that you have the wildest imagination in our house?" Hiashi's wife smiled again.

Sakura finally let out a laugh at this point; she was so depressed for the whole day that she felt so good and relaxed to smile again.

"Well, shall we begin?" Hiashi's wife asked.

"Yes please!" Sakura said while wiping away those dry tears on her face.

It took till morning for Sakura to be fully healed from the side effects from before. She walked down the hall of the Hyuuga's branch house. She silently opened the slide door of Neji's room. She walked inside and noticed that Neji had fallen asleep on the tatami. Sakura was surprised that Neji was sleeping so deeply. He would usually be awake by the presence by others.

It's like he didn't want to wake up today, oh…that's right, he doesn't know about it yet.

Sakura walked silently inside the bedroom and brought a blanket out and placed it onto Neji's shoulders.

When Neji woke up, it was already around twelve o'clock in the afternoon, which was so different from what he was used to. He rubbed his eyes and when he yawned he noticed the drop of the blanket that was once on his shoulders. He looked around and remembered what happened yesterday. Then he heard someone running down the hallway. He wanted to yell because he wasn't in a good mood today. But decided not to since he was so tired already. Suddenly, someone slid his door open without even asking. Neji couldn't take it and stood up immediately, about to yell, but he just found himself staring into a pair of green eyes.

Neji frowned and stood there in his disbelief.

"Neji-kun, good afternoon!" Sakura said happily, as she placed the lunch on Neji's table.

"Sa..Sakura?" Neji stood there and stared at her more.

"What are you doing? Sit down and eat, you haven't eaten anything since yesterday." Sakura ran across to Neji's side, pushed him down into a sitting position and made him eat as she kneeled down behind him.

"But Sakura, I thought you were…" Neji said.

"It's okay Neji, they didn't kick me out last night, I'll tell you more later, okay?" Sakura said while embracing Neji from his back.

"I'm glad." Neji said while kissing Sakura on her cheek. Then he smelled something strange.

"What is that smell?" Neji asked; then Sakura head's shot up in shock.

"Oh no, the soup!" Sakura said while running towards the kitchen of the branch house.

Neji cracked up laughing and started eating the food that Sakura had prepared for him.

Later on in the afternoon, Sakura was sitting beside Neji reading some ninja scrolls with him. Neji told her that he liked to read ever since he was young. He said it was important to keep up with the training physically but also mentally for a ninja. After all, he was the number one rookie the year before Sasuke. And not to mention about that huge library that the Hyuugas have.

"Hmmm." Sakura yawned and leaned on Neji's back.

"Getting tired already?" he asked.

"No, just feeling happy." She giggled.

"I wish it'll be like this everyday. Do you Neji?" She said.

"Yes I do, but without the part where you almost burned down my kitchen and the part where you watered the plants in the garden too much which almost killed them and the part where…" Neji's list continued.

"You are exaggerating it too much Neji." Sakura said smiling.

"Oh did I?" Neji asked.

But Sakura just smiled and stared at Neji. She wasn't sure why she made so much mistakes in front of him either. Maybe it was because she felt comfortable in showing her weak side to Neji. In the past, she was always hiding behind a mask and lied about her problems. She seemed to be strong when others were around, but in front of him, she just made mistakes naturally. But it's only because it's Neji.

TBC

Author note: I love to write about sweet moments. It is a writer's job to show the readers reality, but it is also important to show them hope. So here I am.

I also have to apologize about this late update, it's been late for a year! Let's just say that life has been really busy and I'm trying to adjust to everything that's new in my life! Still trying hard to accomplish my dream through this normal life! Thank you to all who supported this fanfic and showed care towards it while I wasn't updating it! You don't have to worry anymore because the next update should be here soon! Thanks for reading! Wa

Sept 05 2005.


	8. The Hyuuga Family

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After All

Wrote by: Wa Edited & Revised by: Ai

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Chapter 8: The Hyuuga Family

"I guess I should tell you Sasuke." Sakura started, while they were waiting for their team to get ready for their mission. It was three days later after Sakura ran away and right after she recovered from everything, she returned to her team.

"I already heard everything from Kakashi sensei." Sasuke replied a monotone in his voice.

"What did he say?" Sakura asked, she was eager to find out how much the village knew about her marriage with Neji.

"He said that you were Hyuuga Neji's fiance and you two are getting marry in three years, a bit different from what the village was saying." Sasuke hided the pain in his voice.

"I see, so the village knew all about it already." Sakura chuckled. They both didn't say anything after that, both knowing that there was something between them that needed to be clarified.

"I said that I love you before right?" Sakura started bravely and Sasuke just looked at her while she was talking.

"When I think back now…I think I felt in love with an imaginary person or I felt in love with the feeling of love instead of you." She said.

__

Just like you Sasuke, you felt in love with power instead of really wanting to kill your brother. You probably still consider him as your brother deep down inside, hoping that he'll treat you as he used to be. And like Neji, he felt in love with hatre instead of really hating the main house. But I guess, everybody grows up someday.

"I just want to ask you," Sakura made an eye contact with Sasuke, "why did you bring me back to the Hyuuga?"

"Because…that is where you belong." Sasuke replied.

Sakura wanted to question his answer, but just then Naruto appeared and changed the subject. She thought that maybe she should ask him again later, but as she thought about it again, maybe she should just let it go. After all, together they both see a different future, and hers is with Neji.

While Sakura was talking to Naruto, Sasuke stared at her back.

_That's where you're belonged Sakura, you probably will find happiness there then when you are with me. _Sasuke thought.

Maybe from now on, he would only watch her from a far.

When Sakura went back to the Hyuuga house she found Neji at his garden watching the snow falling from the sky. They met at the beginning summer, got engaged in the middle of autumn and now it's near the end of winter already. Neji turned around and saw her looking at him, he gave her a light smile while she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"What is it?" Neji found her staring at him even more now.

Sakura found her reflection in his white eyes, her most happiest looking reflection. She smiled.

"I love you."

Six years later…

Neji woke up during midnight because his wife who was sleeping beside him kept on taling and turning, this was the third time during the night that he was awake by her. He hadn't been getting a good sleepy lately,

"I'm sorry Neji did I wake up again?" Sakura turned around to see her husband face.

"That's okay," Neji he kissed her on the forehead before he went back to sleep again, however just before he fell into sleep he heard his wife calling him.

"Neji… it's hot in here." Sakura told him.

So Neji pulled himself up from bed and slide open the window of their room. Then he grabbed the fan that was near their bed. He started fanning so Sakura could feel more relax. Like him, she wasn't getting good sleep these days, not when she had their baby in her tummy now. His mother had told him that pregnant women usually get emotional and sometimes couldn't sleep. So if he could help her, he will sacrifice his sleeping time. After all, he is on break right now from those missions since Sakura getting closer to her labour day.

We are getting a summer baby, Neji. He remembered her telling her.

"Thank you, Otto." Sakura smiled and stared at him and slowly drown off to sleep feeling the gentle wind from the pattern of the fan.

Neji watched her sleep, and stared at her big tummy he remembered the day when Sakura asked him about having a child…

Flash Back

It was sometime after their marriage, Sakura woke up one day and asked him his opinion on having a child.

"Otto." Sakura said with her back facing him, Neji could tell from her voice that she didn't truly awake yet.

"Good morning." He put his arms around her waist, he had to admit he liked the way when she call him 'husband'.

"Otto."

"Yes?" Neji asked, their morning conversations were usually like that, since both of them weren't truly awake yet.

"Can I play with you hair?" Sakura asked, and then she laughed, both knowing that she was only joking.

"Otto."

"Yes?"

"What do you think about having a baby?" Sakura suddenly asked him in her casual tone but she was serious.

"I don't want a child." Neji pulled her closer. Sakura turned and faced him.

"Neji, I was serious." Sakura told him.

"And I was serious too." He told her.

"But why?" Sakura asked.

"……" Neji was silent.

"You never tell me why, Neji." Sakura whined.

"I don't want him to get cursed by the main house." Neji said blurring his face in her, he was a bit tired in the morning to discuss such thing with her.

Sakura didn't say anything but just touched Neji's forehead where the curse seal was placed. She understood that there would be so much to deal with, the family traditional and their rules was always a pain to them. Sakura was actually glad that the curse wasn't put onto her forehead, or else Neji would be mad.

Maybe the family thought that it was okay to not give a seal to her since she wasn't from the family. However, not giving a child with Byakugan from the branch family a curse seal was impossible.

"Neji… do you remember what Naruto said?" Sakura pulled herself up on the bed and faced Neji who was still lying on the bed.

"What did he say?" He asked sleepily.

"He said that he will change the Hyuuga family when he become the Hokage! And if Hinata became the head of the main house she might not put the curse seal on our child!" She said with a serious face on, staring at Neji.

"……" Neji didn't say anything.

"Hey Neji can you hear me? Wake up!" She was partly angry and partly laughing. She shook his shoulder and he pulled her down and trapped her in his hug, laughing.

"Hey! Are you mocking at my idea?"

"Hmmm." Neji went to sleep again.

"Neji!"

__

Of course I hear you Sakura…

Then two years later after their marriage, Sakura finally became pregnant and with the help from Naruto the Rokudaime and the help from Hiashi of the main house, they finally convinced to the Hyuuga elders and promised that the curse wouldn't be put on the branch family. After all, that curse could only trap the body in the cage, not the mind. Therefore, from now on, the main house and branch house concentrated more on catching up with their relationship with each other than hating each other.

Neji was surprised that Hiashi actually helped them to convince the elders, he wouldn't have thanked him if he was still thirteen. But Neji knew that after the day Hiashi bowed to him and told him the truth about his father, his hate for the main house disappeared. And that was how, his father and Hiashi helped him to escape his destiny.

End of Flash back

So here was Neji watching over his wife as she sleep peacefully on the bed. He smiled at her and continued fanning the fan. He didn't remember when he fell asleep but when he woke up the other day he found Sakura packing her clothes and things that she daily use.

"Sakura?" Neji sat up from the bed.

"Good morning Neji, breakfast is on the table." Sakura said now taking the baby's clothes out from the draw.

"Sit down Sakura, let me do those things after I brush my teeth okay?" Neji helped her up and sat her down on a chair. He went into their bathroom to clean up and when he came out he helped her pack the things that she needed for the hospital.

"Thankyou, Otto." Sakura said.

Just then their housemaid knocked on their door and told them that the Hokage has arrived to see them. So they left their room and went to the main house where Naruto was sitting beside Hinata.

"Good morning Naruto." Sakura said walking into the room with her hand on her back supporting herself and Neji on her left to support her.

"Good to see you Sakura-chan and Neji! How's my god child?" Naruto asked, he was still jumpy at the age of twenty.

"God child?" She asked.

"Yeah! Didn't you remember that I said I want to be his god father?" Naruto whined.

"Oh that… of course we wanted you to be his god father, you've helped me and Neji so much… but there is just one problem." Sakura said.

She was really grateful that Naruto wanted to be her baby's god father, and she knew that Neji wouldn't be more happy to do so because Neji pay respect to Naruto since the day that Naruto saved him from the darkness.

"Problem? What's the problem?" Naruto frown and his eyes became two thin lines.

"Well if you are going to marry Hinata in the future, then should our child call you Godfather or Uncle?" Sakura grinned.

Hinata and Naruto both blushed at her comment and Neji just stood there smirking.

"Haha you two stop blushing, I was just kidding!" Sakura laughed, then suddenly her stomach hurt in great pain. She almost stomped on the floor without Neji support. Neji held on to her with shock.

"Sakura!" Neji widen his eyes.

"Oh my god! Neji I think the baby is coming." Sakura said in pain.

"Sakura-chan! Are you okay?" Naruto ask.

"Sakura-chan." Hinata said in concern.

"We have to bring her to the hospital!" Neji said, carrying Sakura in his arms.

"Let's go!" Naruto said, and Hinata nodded.

So the group disappeared in a puff.

After that, Sakura's parents, Neji's mother, Sasuke, Kakashi sensei, Gai sensei, Lee, TenTen and Ino who came along with her boyfriend Shikamaru were called also to the hospital when they received the news that Sakura gave birth to a baby boy with white eyes and black hair.

They enter the room and saw Sakura on the bed holding her baby with Neji beside her playing with the baby. Naruto and Hinata who were with them from the beginning were just sitting on the couch.

"How many did you called Naruto?" Neji gave Naruto a sweat drop.

"A lot more, come on is my nephew/godchild!" Naruto said.

"So you finally asked Hinata to marry you eh?" Ino teased.

The group was taking turns to hold the child and taking picture with him.

The next day, Sakura and Neji were packing to leave the hospital with their son.

"Neji, what should his name be?" Sakura asked.

"…Kishou" Neji said, looking at his son staring back at him.

"I see, well Kishou let's go home now." Sakura held his tiny body in her arm and walked home with her husband together.

The End

**Author Notes:** Haha I finally finished this fanfic! Yes! I probably said this every time but really I want to thank you for reading After All! I really hope that you liked it, please send me any reviews or comments so I know how I did I also want to thank Ai for editing this fanfic for me, you really did a great job on correcting my bad grammar. And thank you to all who waited so long for this last chapter to come up! Thank you for reading this fanfiction!

Aug 13, 08: What happened? Computer crashed lost my file didn't know if I uploaded this or not my editor had it thought I should change the ending a bit couldn't get new ideas forgot writing fanfic again remember finally Yes finished this story like... two years ago sorry I don't think the japanese were used correctly but too bad ppl want to know the ending so here we are

**Otto/Danna** husband in an informal form, because apparently big family like the Hyuuga, wife would probably call their husband master or something else, so if you say Otto it's less formal and more casual. ( used in old Japanese)

**Kishou** rare, name wise it means happy that shines (on others)

**Wa**


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